Ford to launch a new car by '05 end

PTIJul 25, 2005, 03.48pm IST

NEW DELHI: Identifying India as a priority market, automotive giant Ford on Monday said the world premiere for its new vehicle would be held in the country by the end of the year."India is a priority market for the company and we will do the global launch for a new vehicle in the premium segment in India, which will position Ford to compete more aggressively here," said Ford India Managing Director David FriedmanFriedman, who would be handing over the reins to Arvind Mathew next month, said the new car to be launched here would be available in both petrol and diesel versions.Mathew, the Managing Director Designate, said the car has been designed by Ford's global engineering design team supported by a specialised team of Indian engineers."It was developed keeping the Indian conditions in mind and has been undergoing homologation test since February," he said.The diesel engine will see the next generation of Turbo Diesel Common Rail Injection (TDCi) technology, he added.Mathew also said the new car would have 75 per cent localisation, with the diesel engine being imported, while the petrol engine will be manufactured by Hindustan Motors.Both Friedman and Mathew, however, did not disclose the details on the pricing front, name of the model and the expected sales of the to be launched vehicle.